This Week in Energy

Happy Independence Day!

from all of us at OurEnergyPolicy.org
Energy Headlines
Ongoing Discussion
By Laura Nelson
Executive Director, Utah Governor's Office of Energy Development
  1. What are the key challenges to a "renewables only" energy portfolio? What is required to overcome the challenges of an increasingly renewable electric system portfolio?
  2. In your view, what are the main benefits and drawbacks to choosing a diverse approach to state energy policy?
  3. What are the trade-offs states must face in charting energy policy, and how does Utah's approach compare?
"An all-renewables world and all-renewables portfolio is unaffordable. The U.S. industrial heat demand is about twice total electricity demand. To electrify industry implies tripling the electricity grid. Wind and solar are very expensive heat sources because the cost of heat is the cost of electricity—one unit of electricity yields one unit of heat...."
- Charles W. Forsberg , Executive Director, MIT Nuclear Fuel Cycle Project, MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

" A balanced portfolio of generation is necessary to provide the energy needed to support our society and economy in the U.S. Using a combination of fossil, nuclear, and renewable sources, we can ensure a stable, reliable, secure and affordable supply of electricity. Putting too much emphasis on any one source is dangerous and reckless. ..."
- Thomas Adams , Executive Director, American Coal Ash Association

"While coal and other fossil fuels can help provide a stable supply of electricity, they, unfortunately, do not lead to a stable climate, society, or civilization.... Renewables and other forms of low-carbon energy, combined with storage and smart grid technologies like demand response, time-of-day pricing, and dispatchable renewables can provide a stable supply of electricity without putting a burden on our children and all future generations."
- Dan Miller, Managing Director, The Roda Group
New Publications
U.S. Department of Energy
June 1, 2019
Congressional Research Service
May 7, 2019

Find these new publications and others in the OurEnergyLibrary.
Update from Congress

Hearings



Legislation Updates


New Legislation


  • Wed, June 26 - Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), along with Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Angus King (I-ME) introduced the Renewable Electricity Standard Act of 2019.
Podcast Spotlight


In this podcast from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Energy Initiative , Francis O'Sullivan talks about the future of electricity markets with Paul Joskow (Emeritus Professor of Economics at MIT) and Richard Schmalensee (Professor of Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School).

They cover power markets, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs), peaker plants, the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA), and the need for electricity retailers. The transcript is also available.
Source: Ren21, Renewables 2019 Global Status Report , p. 47; data from the International Renewable Energy Agency.
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Featured Events This Week
Fort Collins, Colorado
  • When: Sun, June 30-Wed, July 3
  • Where: Colorado State University, 101 Center Ave Mall, Fort Collins, CO 80521

Washington, D.C.
  • When: Thurs, July 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Where: Palisades, Whitehaven Parkway NW, Washington, D.C. 20007

To see a more comprehensive list of energy events across the United States, visit the OEP Events Calendar.
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